Pink balls? Floodlights? Experimenting against West Indies in Birmingham is all very well, but the second Test of the Ashes series is sure to have purists bristling as the old rivals look to embrace progress in what was once the most unspoiled of venues, not to mention home of The_Don.
Innovation is to be welcomed only if authenticity is retained. Will an Ashes Test under lights be the real deal, or simply a gimmick to further bloat the already swollen coffers of Cricket Australia? Enquiring minds needed to know, and last winter headed south to find out.
The omens had not been good. The first Test match under lights between Australia and New Zealand was a mad scramble of wickets as the pink balls misbehaved, but with teething troubles apparently sorted, happily last November’s encounter with South Africa was a proper game of cricket.